Gaby Book 28  Balancing Trick by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2023 Madeline Bell

"So come on Stef, what’ve you dragged us all down here for,” Marcus asked.
"Yeah, couldn’t we have just done this after practice?” Little Jo added.
"Well I thought this stuff rated more than that and as for location, well Erd doesn’t drive and I got here quicker than I do getting to Tinkers for practice.”
"Never said we were complaining mate,” Marcus stated, "So?”

Stefan pulled a bit of tatty paper, well a used envelope out of his pocket.

"Firstly, I’ve been talking to Rob, he’s got some gigs lined up for us.”
"When?” Hilde butted in, "You do recall that Jo’s taking me to Madeira in a couple of weeks.”
"Nothing’s booked Hil, Robert’s gonna send everyone the dates by email, they’re all fairly local, Köln, Solingen, Aachen, better venues than our usual round, more like the stuff we did on the tour.”
"What else?” Animal queried, "There’s got to be more than that.”
"Well he has got us a slot at the Köln Flammen1.”
"Nice,” BJ allowed.
"Certainly get us some exposure, RTL and WDR both carry a lot of coverage,” Marcus observed.
"So that’s that, I’ll tell you the other after we’ve eaten,” Stefan told us as Jasper and I’m guessing his cook, arrived bearing plates, a tureen of frites and the first of several 30cm pizzas.

Discussion stopped as food, well the consumption of food, took over everyone’s attention. Okay, it wasn’t exactly cordon bleu and Mand and me did have pizza last night but so what? Given each pizza had a different topping meant I had a slice of Pollo and one of what looked like some sort of meat feast, yes only two pieces, well I was filling up on the pommes and by the time I was ready for a third slice, well the plates were empty.

"More drinks?” Sam proposed standing up.
"Just Sprite® for me, we’re on my Mofa tonight.”
"Same for me,” Mand added, her beer glass was still over half full, "I’ll give you a hand.”
 

"The big news is that approaches have been made in regard to a record deal.”
"Who from?” BJ asked.
"Mantra, it’s an indie label based somewhere around Dusseldorf, apparently they specialise in alt rock acts.”
"Can’t say as I’ve heard of them,” Animal stated.
"Me either,” Stefan allowed, "I’ve asked around though and they seem kosher.”
"So what’s the deal?” Marcus enquired.
"One album with an option on a second, we get the benefit of their promo people and obviously studio time.”
"Sounds good,” Little Jo stated.
"Erd, you got any thoughts?” Marcus prompted.
"Um, sorry to sound a bit negative, but like what’s in it for us, I mean obviously we get a proper record release but what about rights and money and stuff? For example will we be able to do non BlauHase stuff? You hear about bands being screwed by record labels all the time.”
"Valid points Stef,” Anna chipped in.
"I don’t disagree,” Animal added, "I guess we need to meet up with them.”
"And get a lawyer,” BJ opined.
"So we all on board with the idea?” Stefan asked in an attempt to regain control of the discussion.
"In theory,” Marcus replied.
"Yeah, count me in,” Little Jo told us.
"Erd?” Animal prompted.
"No harm in talking to them.”

The others grunted assent.

"Okay, I’ll get back to them and arrange a meeting,” Stefan concurred.
"That everything?” Marcus enquired.
"Not quite, Hilde?”
"Right guys, things aren’t finalised but the accounts for the tour are pretty much done.”
"That was quick,” Animal offered.
"Go on Hil,” Stefan urged.
"Okay, I’ll cut to the chase, you didn’t lose money, in fact the tour made a nice little profit.”
"How much nice?” Big Jo asked.
"Well, after Robert takes his cut, bottom line is about two thousand each. It might be a bit more, I’ve not got the receipts for a couple of venues and there’ll be some from the merch and CD’s.”

Animal gave a whistle of appreciation.
"That include Nena, Misty?” I queried.
"Yes and no,” our ‘accountant’ started, "Yes she’ll get some, not the same as you guys but pro rata for the dates she sang on and I convinced Robert that he’d pay her cut as it was his idea to add her. At a guess she’’ll end up with about half what you guys finish with.”
"That should keep her in hair dye for a few weeks!” Mand tittered.
"Anyhow, that aside, I’ve sorted you all out with an interim payment,” she passed out envelopes, "When things are finalised you’ll get the balance.”

No one opened their envelope but BJ asked the question that was burning in everyone’s head.

"How much?”
"A thousand.”
"You’ve paid yourself I hope?” Stefan enquired.
"Included in the final accounts, there’ll be something for Sam and Anna too.”
"So what’s happening with the left over Merchandise stuff?” Anna asked.
"Robert paid for it all so he’s got that, mind you I don’t think there is much, a few T’s I think.”
 

It wasn’t late when our gathering broke up, people have work and stuff so it was a bit before nine that Mand and I wobbled back to Chateau Bond on my little pink Mofa.

"I’ll have to take up singing,” Mand mentioned as I made our cocoa.
"I’ve heard you, as Dad would say, don’t give up the day job.”
"Huh! Seriously though, that’s a pretty good pay day.”
"Yeah but its not like its regular every week.
"Still, its not to be sniffed at. So what are you gonna do with it?”

What indeed? A thousand euros, that’s like a full month working in the Kabin and its only half. I guess we were lucky with the radio exposure but its quite a bonus, we were hoping to break even not make a fortune. So what am I gonna do with such largese.

"No idea, Uni fund?”
"No fun Bond, you could splurge a bit.”
"Well there is a bottle of nail varnish I was thinking of getting.”
"Sometimes Bond!”

I lay in the dark unable to move into sleep, there was just too much going on in my head. The BlauHase meeting has added a whole new can of opportunities, gigs, recording contracts and who knows what else. I suppose in the back of my mind I had the hope that the Hessen Tour wouldn’t be my, our fifteen minutes but even so I’m not sure how I feel about these developments.

Since I was, I dunno, four, five, I’ve always imagined that my future would be as a racing cyclist, everything I’ve done for the last five or six years has had that ambition at its root. And it’s worked, three world titles, several national titles, a palmares that few of my generation come even close to. Yep, barring disaster, next year or maybe later this, I’ll step up to the senior team, my licence and job description will be Professioneller Radrennfahrer2.

But then BlauHase happened, well my part in it at any rate. I enjoy the performing, the tour was exciting, harder work than I was expecting but mostly good fun. Its left me questioning my previously unwavering commitment to a career on two wheels and the meeting tonight has thrown oil onto that fire. So far I’ve been able to combine the two but sometime, quite soon I think, I’ll have to commit one way or the other.
 

Apart from a visit to the SparKasse to deposit the cheque Hilde had given me, my attention for the next couple of days was directed at getting ahead with my college work and sorting everything out for the weekend. Thursday evening Max came around to hinder packing our bikes on the boxes, it wasn’t rocket science but he thought he was being useful. Okay, I’ll admit that it was mostly an excuse for what Gran calls ‘some canoodling’, you really can’t beat a good canoodle!

The news from the low countries was mixed, some success for the riders, Anja got third at Brabant Pijls, Mum and Tina were both top ten too. Off the bikes, well the news regarding George’s return to the reins was not so good, it looks like Dad’s secondment will be for a while longer although they’ll be back home after the weekend for a few days. Where will that leave the junior squad is open to speculation.
 

Our transport arrived at eight thirty, Ulli, Herr Pinger’s van man, turned up with his almost brand new Vito van, the bike boxes and cases sharing the tools of his trade, he’s a joiner. I know, getting into a car with a stranger, but I know Ulli from various Pinger social gatherings and there are two of us. It was a tight fit, bike boxes are bigger than you’d think, but with a bit of jiggling everything was in. Given my penchant for forgetting stuff, Mand had a check list and it was just after nine when we squeezed into the front and started our journey to the capital.
Its under fifty K as the crow flies, a bit more by road, up to the five six five past Bonn and over the Rhein, another fifteen kilometres on the ninety nine gets you to the airport. Mum would do it in thirty minutes but Ulli didn’t seem to have the same urgency and even with a bit of traffic around Bonn we still made it in like forty five minutes.

"Thanks for bringing us,” I offered as our chauffeur deposited the second bike box on the pavement.
"No problem girls, I owed Henryck a favour and I’ve a job in Siegburg so this is barely out of my way.”
"Well it’s saved us a lot of faff,” I pressed a ten into his hand, "Have a beer on us.”
"If you insist,” he grinned, "Well have a good trip.”
"Thanks.”
"Tschuss.”

While I was taking care of business, Mand had marshalled a trolley and already had one bike loaded by the time I joined her.

"Make yourself useful, grab that end.”
"Jawohl Herr Kapitan.”

She just rolled her eyes as we balanced the second bike on board. After a bit of a farcical attempt to balance our cases on board I ended up towing mine whilst de Vreen careered into the airport building, somehow guiding the trolley through the busy concourse without mishap. We had plenty of time which was just as well, once we were checked in we had to take the bikes to the oversize bag drop which is of course miles from check in and manned by the slowest official on the planet. Free of the bags we were soon through security and into departures.
 

"What now?” Mand asked, "Its ages until the flight.”
"Food?” I suggested, eyeing up the limited options, there’s nothing on the flight and it could be hours before we get another chance.”

Often I’ll get some snide comment but for a change I just got "Sure”. Then I remembered, Mand is not keen on flying, not fearful as such, she just doesn’t like it. I’m hardly a frequent flyer but I do quite enjoy the experience.

Airports are not known for their cuisine and are famous for their sky high prices but its a case of suck it up or go without. As the latter wasn’t really an option we ended up in a ‘traditional’ style place where prices were only twice what I’d normally expect.

"Well at least you get plenty,” Mand mentioned, exploring the pile of salad on her plate.
"Should be at these prices,” I observed spearing several pommes on my fork.
"So remind me again, we catch a train from the airport?”
"S-bahn.”
"Hope there’s no stairs.”
"We’ll manage, wonder what time the others’ll arrive?”
"No idea.”

I’m not sure where the time went, one minute we had over an hour, the next our flight was being called. Thankfully its not the biggest of airports so after parting with over thirty euros for our repast, we hotfooted to our gate in ten minutes flat. Flight AB324 looked quite full, the capital, as you might expect being a popular destination although business travellers were in equal number to those on leisure trips, going home for the weekend I guess.

After what seemed a protracted loading, the doors were closed, seat belts checked and we trundled towards the runway while the crew demonstrated the safety stuff. Its the same every time, some passengers talking over it while others hung on every word. There was a deeper rumble as the engines wound up then we were moving rapidly along the concrete.

A flight time of just over an hour means that no sooner are you up through the clouds than the pilot is telling you what its like on the ground where you’ll be landing in short order. It was a smooth flight, the glimpses I caught past the chap sat in the window seat revealed the patchwork of forest and farmland that typifies northern Hess and later Thuringia before the open expanses of Saxony took over the view. And then we were down, a bump followed by rapid deceleration had Mand gripping my wrist quite tightly.
 

Being a domestic flight, once we were in the terminal it was straight to luggage reclaim where once again Mand commandeered a trolley whilst I watched for our cases. There was a bit of a delay, long enough for us to take turns in the ‘comfort’ room, the belt finally starting as I re-emerged. Our cases came through quite quickly, the bike boxes took a bit longer so it was heading to two o’clock as we made our way to the S-bahn station, a half kilometre walk from the terminal building.

"Which one do we get?” Mand asked as we joined those waiting on the exposed platform.
I found the crumpled itinary in my handtasche, "Erm, S9.”
"There’s one in four minutes to Spandau.”
"Well its headed the right direction I think, its on the right platform at any rate.”
"I’ll get some tickets,” Mand volunteered.

The train rolled in just about on time, there was a bike carriage into which we managed, with a little help, to get ourselves, bike boxes and cases before the doors closed. I checked the route thingy over the door, yes we were on the right train, Charlottenburg being several stops after the Hauptbahnhof.

"Best let Dieter know we’re in Berlin,” Mand proposed.
"I guess.”

I found my Handy and after a search of my contacts, hit dial. Of course it went straight to voicemail.

"Hi Dieter, its Gaby, er Bond, we’ve just got on the train to the hotel,” I paused.
"Time,” Mand hinted.
"Oh yeah, its like quarter past two, speak later, wiedersehn.”

Whilst I’ve been to Berlin before, we stayed in the centre so this was the first time I’ve been through the suburbs. Not that they are particularly interesting, apartment blocks quickly replacing individual homes, the ubiquitus yellow buses, a snatched glimpse of the TV tower. I started to recognise a few station names, Ostkreuze, Alexander Platz before passing through the museum insel and the Pergamon Museum.

The new Hauptbahnhof is still a bit of a construction site then we were skirting the Tiergarten, I recognised the Zoo entrance, not far now I guess.

"Next stop,” Mand announced.
"Best get to the door then.”

Thankfully the train wasn’t too full and we managed to get ourselves and case in the door space just as the train drew into Charlottenburg station. The bad news was the lack of a lift so it was a bit of a struggle getting everything down to exit level. On the plus side we came out on the right side and the City Pension was virtually across the road.
"Urgh, I need a cuppa,” Mand opined as she slumped onto her case outside of the entrance.
"Me too,” another, masculine voice added.

I swung round to find Daz encumbered by his own bike box and rucksack.

"Where’d you come from?” Manda asked.
"Just got off the train from the airport.”
"Us too,” I supplied.
"Thought it was you I saw.”
"Why didn’t you shout or something?”
"Too busy running, I only just made it.”
"Well we’re here now, lets get checked in,” de Vreen suggested.

The hotel is actually on the top floors of an ancient apartment block, more stairs but at least this time we had Daz to act as Sherpa. We were just getting our keys when more familiar voices sounded.

"You made it like,” Josh stated.
"Never in doubt, when did you guys get here?”
“’bout an hour ago,” Tali told us, "Dieter rang about half an hour ago, said you were on your way from the Flughafen.”
 

Maddy Bell © 15.06.2023